NoOne Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way
by EmZzyPopZ
Summary: One-shot prequel. What happened before the disaster wedding of Rachel and Barry? R&R please!


"I just don't think I can do this any more! Oh god! What am I

going to do, Mindy!" Rachel couldn't stop this thought going

through her mind. She had been thinking about this for a couple of

days now.

"You need to tell him, Rach. You can't go on like this." Mindy said,

only trying to help.

It had been a couple of months ago now, when Barry had

unexpectedly proposed to Rachel after only being together for one

single year. It had been their one year anniversary and Barry had

organised a dinner out at the most luxurious restaurant in the

whole of New York.

The two had just had a superb meal and a glass of champaigne at

the restaurant and now were up on the dancefloor, hand in hand,

dancing to their favourite song, 'Wherever You Will Go'. '

And then it happened. The music quietened down, Barry got down

onto one knee, and the look on Rachels face was like nothing ever

witnessed before. To Barry, this expression meant that she was

utterely shocked and completely overjoyed. But, to Rachel, it was

utter shock and complete bewilderment.

'How could he possibly feel the desire to propose?' She asked

herself in disbelief. All that was going through Rachels mind at this

moment in time was 'no'. 'Say no, no, no, no'

"Yes!" She burst out. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She wrapped her arms

around Barry's small neck and hugged him until she had

completely forgotten about her doubtful thoughts from before.

It didn't last for long though. Before she could even start thinking

about a wedding her thoughts were back and she couldn't even

answer Barry's question four days later when he asked her, "So,

Sweetie, I was thinking, how about December?"

Bearing in mind that it was only September when he had

proposed, Rachel was in utter shock and couldn't believe her own

voice when she had said, "Yes! I can't wait."

But now, it was two days before the wedding and Rachel just

couldn't get her head around the thought of being married in less

than forty-eight hours, to someone that she wasn't even sure that

she loved.

Mindy, Rachel's best friend, had been against Rachel and Barry's

relationship from the day that they were introduced. It was just

something about him; he was small, had the job of a dentist and

was completely mad about Rachel. She felt that anyone who was

that crazy in love for someone else just had to be a fake.

She had been trying to persuade Rachel out of marrying Barry for

weeks, and finally, two days before the wedding, Rachel was

eventually, starting to see sense.

"Mindy! What am I gonna do? You have to help me." Rachel was

becoming extremely desperate.

"Rach, there is only one person who can decide that. And I think

that you and me both know who that is, don't we?"

"I know, I know. I just… eugh! What do I do?"

"Well, you know I don't like him. I never have, Rach. But, I only

want you to be happy. So, answer me this one question? Do you

love him?" Mindy reached out and took Rachel's hand. She led her

to the couch, and sat her down. "Well..?"

"Yes. I just don't think its enough. I need more than that, Mind. I

need security, someone I think I could live with for the rest of my

life. I just don't feel that with him." Rachel moved her feet up onto

the couch and settled her head in her hands.

Mindy stared up towards the clock hanging on the wall in the

corner of Rachel's tiny apartment. "I ought to get going, Rach."

She stood up from the couch and grabbed her brown leather coat

and bag off of the coffee table in front of them and began to walk

towards the purple door. "Rach?"

"Yes, Mind?"

"Would you do me a favour?" Mindy's voice sounded

apprehensive.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Just think about it, OK? Don't go rushing into anything that you

may regret." She opened the door and took a small step into the

corridor. "See you soon, Rach."

As Mindy closed the door, Rachel burst into a deafening sob, fled

into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

The following two days had gone remarkably fast and before she

knew it, Rachel would no longer be known as Rachel Green. She

would be known as the wife of Barry Farber. She couldn't believe

it. Her mind had completely blanked out what Mindy had told her

just two days before, and was now stood in front of the sparkling

mirror in the hotel room that she was getting ready for her

wedding in. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Her dress was the

most beautiful thing that Rachel had ever seen and was a pure

white material with sparkling gems all the way up the side. The

bottom of the dress, below the waist, was so extensive; she

needed help from her bridesmaids to get through doorways in the

hotel.

Ever since Sandra, Rachel's mum, had read Rachel a two page

speech about how proud she was of her that she was happy and

had someone in her life, all Rachel could think about was how she

could not put off the wedding. She had to go through with it. If

she didn't, her entire family and all of her friends would be

disappointed with her and Rachel would never be able to cope

with that.

"Rach? Are you ready?" At that moment Sandra walked through

the wooden doorframe of the hotel room.

"I think so." Rachel replied in disbelief. 'All I have to do is go

through with it today and then everything will fall into place.' Was

what Rachel had been telling herself since the moment she woke

up that morning.

"Good. Now, come on, give us a spin!" The look on Sandra's face

was pride. Her baby daughter had finally found someone, and she

looked more stunning than she could ever have imagined.

Rachel spun around on the spot as her dress flowed out beneath

her.

"Stunning! Absolutely stunning!" Sandra ran towards Rachel and

hugged her until the tears started to run down her face, when she

backed away, "Oh no, we wouldn't want to get my silly tears all

over your gorgeous dress, now, do we?"

"Of course not, Mom." Sandra called for the bridesmaids, who had

been waiting outside of the door. And all together, they left the

hotel, carrying Rachel's trail as they went.

When they arrived outside, Rachel took one look at the

breathtaking horse and carriage waiting for her to take her to

what should be the greatest day of her entire life.

"I'll go wherever you will go,

Way up high,

Or down low,

I'll go wherever you will go…"

The song began to play and Rachel, Mindy and the other

bridesmaids and Rachel's father, were all stood just outside of the

great, wooden, archway, which lead to the aisle, where Rachel

would soon be stood, preparing to be married.

"This is it." Leonard, Rachel's father, whispered into Rachel's ear.

"OK" Rachel's voice was very apprehensive.

They stepped around the corner, arm in arm, and began to walk

down the aisle.

Rachel reached the altar and Barry stood up so close to her that

she could feel him breathing on her shoulder. Suddenly, it hit her.

She couldn't take it. She couldn't go through with it.

She turned to Barry. "I'm so sorry."

Rachel ran down the aisle and out of the wooden archway,

sobbing as she went.

The look on every single one of the guests' faces was shock,

confusion and sympathy.

Poor Barry stood at the altar, alone. Unsure what to do. Unsure

what had happened. All his brain could focus on, was that his

bride-to-be was no longer stood by his side, ready to make a

commitment that he thought she was ready for.


End file.
